Hot List: Oliver Thornton

Not every man can pull off smoldering in a dress and heels. But then Oliver Thornton's not every drag queen. The 29-year-old gay costar of the musical version of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, (the hottest ticket to hit London's West End this year) doesn't let any of the feathers, glitter, or sequins on any of his 20 costumes (he makes 13 changes, each in under a minute) overpower his sensuality -- or his acting prowess.

Not every man can pull off smoldering in a dress and heels. But then Oliver Thornton's not every drag queen. The 29-year-old gay costar of the musical version of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, (the hottest ticket to hit London's West End this year) doesn't let any of the feathers, glitter, or sequins on any of his 20 costumes (he makes 13 changes, each in under a minute) overpower his sensuality -- or his acting prowess. 'At the start, I came out looking like I'd been dragged through a hedge,' admits Thornton, who as Adam/Felicia at one moment has the audience on its feet singing along with him to Bananarama's 'Venus' and then, the next, blinking back tears. London's a long way to go -- even for this much fun. But Broadway's supposed to be the show's next stop, and the Welsh-born Thornton says he has his eyes on the prize. So do we.